International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression

  Dr. Stein’s presentation focused on four main themes underlying community violence prevalence : (1) Types of exposure to violence; (2) predictors of exposure; (3) exposure in different contexts; and (4) relative gaps in our knowledge. Community violence can be described in terms of direct and indirect exposure as well as the nature of the violence (weapon-related, criminal, and physical). There are substantial variations in estimates of weapon-related, criminal, and physical violence in the literature, and very little data, except for the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health , on children’s exposure to violence in the general population . Most data reports come from children in high risk areas. Despite these inconsistencies, the general predictors of violence exposure include being male, being an older child, being an ethnic minority, living in urban areas, low socioeconomic status (SES), and early conduct problems. There is also a lot of misinformation about viole...

 The main research gaps in the area of children exposed to war and terrorism is in determining the most effective treatments for these children, and in understanding the different consequences of exposure to war versus terrorism . A number of characteristics (besides type of trauma) are important to consider in terms of the research on mechanisms and consequences of exposure to war/terrorism. Consequences need to be considered more broadly, and secondary behavioral consequences need to be considered. Studies are needed on the psychological effects of bioterrorism on children and families and on t he psychological effects of activities aimed at disaster preparedness on children . Additionally, we need to consider effects from the biological (genetics) to the existential, from neurons to neighborhoods. Another intriguing area for future research is the impact of chronic stress , especially the impact on children , including prenatal effects. It is important to develop empirically-b...

Prevalence . Remarks by Robert Pynoos, M.D., M.P.H., University of California at Los Angeles.  Dr. Pynoos presented an ecological model on the determinants of long-term postwar adjustment in Bosnian youths and discussed the prewar, wartime, and postwar factors that impact adjustment. He presented a postwar adversities scale that illustrated how the family may be traumatized by the effects of war. This scale illustrates that traumatic events may also occur after the war, while some traumatic events, such as the disappearance of a loved one or the confirmed death of a loved one, may be caused by the war. There are also post-war traumas such as accidents or crime that are not war-related that may affect the family. Together, these events comprise a “ postwar trauma variable .” PTSD, depression, and grief can often co-occur after a traumatic event. Dr. Pynoos used these findings to create a general psychological distress factor in his structural model. Postwar trauma reminders, includ...

 Response of Kathy Sanders-Phillips, Ph.D., Howard University. Dr. Phillips came to the discussion o f community violence from the perspective of a drug abuse researcher, and as a public health researcher in general. She is interested in the impact of exposure to community violence on risk behaviors such as substance abuse, particularly among minority adolescent populations . She discussed her work examining the impact of community violence on HIV infection and other risk behaviors linked to health disparities in South African adolescent girls. Dr. Phillips then discussed theoretical models and the importance of modifying those models as research yields new information. The first critical theoretical model to consider is that children and families are embedded in social and cultural systems. We cannot understand the development of behaviors or responses without reference to the social system in which children live and grow . Therefore, we must examine these systems, as well as r...

Dr. Lynch began his discussion by presenting the challenges of community violence research , which include dealing with co-occurring risk factors and clarifying how community violence is operationalized . He then outlined the direct effects, mediating variables, moderating factors, and resilience issues involved in children’s exposure to community violence . One direct effect is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which has been reported in a number of studies. There are also psychobiological effects that manifest through alterations in physiological arousal. This can result in lower baseline heart rates (hypoarousal) or high blood pressure, epinephrine secretion, and cortisol production (hyperarousal). Previous studies have shown that children exposed to violence may also externalize their pain through antisocial behavior, violence, aggression, substance abuse, and other behavior problems. Recent studies have indicated that there are developmental differences in this externalizing...

  Dr. Hanley began this segment of the conference by discussing the waxing and waning of the public and political attention spans. For instance, over the past few years, there has been increased attention on shooting in schools , yet schools are still overwhelmingly safe. He also referred to and circulated two documents produced as a result of the shootings that he hoped would switch the focus away from violence to public health. Moderator: Tom V. Hanley, Ed.D., Office of Special Education Programs, DOE.